COMPETITIONS

UW competes in four national competitions for excellence in trial advocacy, environmental law, oral advocacy, and client counseling. This provides students an excellent opportunity to develop and be recognized for outstanding skills as individuals and as a team.

BOARD OF ADVOCATES

Supporting Student Competitions
President, Pamela Salapich

Congratulations to UW law student Pamela Salapich (Class of 2008) who was chosen as the President for the 2007-2008 Board of Advocates! Four vice-presidents were selected to head up the four areas of competition at the law school:

Katie Hui - Pace Environmental Moot Court
Haydee Dijkstal - Rothgerber, Johnson & Lyons Trial Advocacy
Marie Lindenmayer - Pence & MacMillan Client Counseling
Cody Weagant - Brown, Drew & Massey Moot Court

Outgoing members are recent graduates Patricia Lara, Tom Justice, Dan Kelley, Cory Toye, Chris Ringer, and Kevin Kessner.

The Board of Advocates is a student organization responsible for organizing, coordinating, and publicizing the in-school competitions for the four competitions. The Vice-Presidents for each competition make travel arrangements and are responsible for media relations, as well.

ROTHGERBER, JOHNSON & LYONS TRIAL ADVOCACY COMPETITION

Vice President, Haydee Dijkstal

The Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons Trial Advocacy Competition is sponsored by the regional law firm of Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLC. The competition is designed to encourage the development of trial skills in all aspects of civil trials. The winners of the intra-school competition go on to compete in the regional competition sponsored by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. The goal of the national competition is to inspire excellence in trial advocacy through training and education for both law students and practicing attorneys. This is an exceptional opportunity for law students to develop and practice their trial advocacy skills before distinguished members of the bar and bench.

(Left to Right) Keith Dodson, Jake Haseman, Amanda Ferguson, Kevin Kessner, Rachel Michael, and Eang Man

2006 - 2007 Finalists

First Place Team: Eang Man, Rachel Michael, Kevin Kessner, and Tom Justice

Second Place Team: Amanda Ferguson, Katrina Runyan, Keith Dodson, and Jake Haseman

PACE ENVIRONMENTAL MOOT COURT COMPETITION

Vice President, Katie Hui

UW students have competed in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition sponsored by Pace University School of Law since 1990. The competition requires students to argue an environmental case from three viewpoints: the government/regulator, the regulated industry, and the citizen public interest group. The national law firm of Holland & Hart sponsors the intra-school competition. The national competition is sponsored annually by the Pace Law School's Environmental Moot Court Board in collaboration with the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C., and Texaco Inc. In the past, law students have argued on environmental topics ranging from illegal dumping to personal liability for violation by a corporation. Winning briefs will be published in the Pace Environmental Law Review.

2007 - 2008 Finalists

First Place Team: Jill Garrett, Andrew Kuhlmann, and Kellie Nelson

BROWN, DREW & MASSEY MOOT COURT COMPETITION

Vice President, Cody Weagant

The Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the City of New York sponsors the National Moot Court Competition. Students write briefs and present oral arguments in a simulated appeal to the United States Supreme Court. The College’s team, selected in an intra-school competition, participates in the regional competition. Regional winners go to the national finals in New York City. Students from the College of Law have also participated in recent years in the regional appellate advocacy competition sponsored by the American Bar Association. The intra-school competition is sponsored by the Casper, Wyoming law firm of Brown, Drew & Massey.

2006 - 2007 Finalists

First Place Team: Cody Weagant, Jeremy Kisling, and Grant Curry

Second Place Team: Aaron Bieber, Elisa Butler, and Brandon Booth

Chris Ringer

Zane Gilmer and Matthew Hartford

Aaron Hockman, Patty Bennett, and Melissa Prado

Clayton Kainer, Andy Sears, and Chris Besler

PENCE & MACMILLAN CLIENT COUNSELING COMPETITION

Vice President, Marie Lindenmayer

The Client Counseling Competition provides an opportunity for law students to develop valuable skills in interacting with and proposing solutions for clients. Each team of two attorneys attempts to obtain the legally relevant information from the background factual context and then supplies the client with a preliminary summary of the client's legal position and the client's possible actions. The competition emphasizes communication and other interpersonal skills essential to sound representation of clients.

The Laramie law firm of Pence & MacMillan sponsors the intra-school competition.

The National Client Counseling Competition is sponsored by the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association.